End of an era

by Christopher Hawthorne Moss

I have decided after much deliberation and not a little regret that I need to focus on writing novels instead of reviewing them. As you know I adore historical fiction, and whether or not I’m reviewing them, I will continue to read copious amounts on my Kindle. But listening to Kindle doesn’t involve good eyesight, but writing does even though I have a specially adapted computer that also reads aloud to me. Since my stroke in 2014, my eyesight has deteriorated. Before, I lacked central vision but now I have on top of that, or below that I should say, I have no lower quadrant vision. For some reason this is making using even the specially adapted computer difficult. I am working on using a dictation program and some other tools so that I can continue writing my novels. In fact it has become very clear to me that I need to write a lot more novels. So between sacrificing that and writing reviews, I am not going to be writing very many reviews anymore.

Fortunately I haven’t been alone in all this lately. Anne Barwell of New Zealand has generously offered to adopt Our Story as her own. She loves historical fiction too, and she feels at least as strongly as I do about GL BTQ people’s participation in said history. She is after all the only person I would give Our Story away to. She keeps thanking me for trusting her, but the thanks is all on her willingness to take it on.

In its various incarnations I have written a few hundred reviews for Our Story. In addition to a few new reviews I’ve written, as well as Anne’s, I have been having Sandra, our assistant and proofreader, post these old ones. There are still quite a few. As long as there are those reviews or any other types of posts that Anne chooses to publish, they will keep showing up. In fact some oldies have been pleasant reminders to some of you, given your very kind notes to me about them.

Anne might change things up a bit here, something I encourage her to do. Sandra has been an incredible help for both of us.

I want to thank you all for your constancy and loyalty as well as your enthusiasm. I just plain love history. It has been my pleasure to bring an awareness of the existence of GLBTQ people since the beginning of time to the subject. It is gratifying to see so many other people doing the same. In fact, I hope you will step in and choose a book that you have valued and write a review of it for Our Story. If every one of you who reads this blog wrote one review it would not only make Anne and Sandra’s job easier, it would provide a richer blend for all readers new and old. You never know, you might find out that you really like doing it!

If you would like to become involved with Our Story please contact Anne at darthanne@gmail.com.  She will be letting you know what other types of posts she is looking for.

Again, thanks for everything. I am still around. In fact I’ll even review an occasional book. Good luck to Anne, Sandra, y and to everyone!